JamesKunz made this same topic last year, which yielded many interesting thoughts (and some film recommendations). Here are some of mine to start with. I will try to be vague, but there may be spoilers:

Before Midnight:

The tentative ending. I know many people will choose the fight, and for good reason. For me though this scene feels more complex and beguiling. As a kid who has sat through a few parents' nasty fights like this (and they didn't end up in divorce), it provides a certain gratifying feeling. Conflicts and fights are triggered easy, but compromise comes harder and requires real effort. That last scene resonates deeply with me for this reason.

Drug War: The shoot-out. Hand down the best action scene of 2013 for me.

Frances Ha: The eye contact at the end (that was referenced earlier in the film). A sublime, magical moment that almost made me shed a tear.The Act of Killing: When a relative of a victim meets up and acts out the "killing" with the perpetrators. Powerful moment, and I shuddered while watching it.Sparrows Dance: The dance. This refreshing 2013 romance is charming in the same vein as Before Sunrise for me (although the story is very different), and this is its equivalent "music booth" moment. Utterly romantic.About Time: "How Long Will I Love You" song montage. Richard Curtis' brand of unabashedly corny romance appeals to me, and this scene exemplify the highs his films usually provide.

I don't have much to choose from in my limited viewings. I thought the transition scene to Oz was pretty incredible in Oz the Great and Powerful.

Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:40 am

H.I. McDonough

Director

Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:09 pmPosts: 1310

Re: Best Scenes of 2013

Off the top of my head:

"Inside Llewyn Davis" - Llewyn's blow-up at Mrs. Gorfein after she asked him to play something at the dinner party.

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" - Bilbo and Smaug's back-and-forth.

Mon Feb 10, 2014 10:53 am

PeachyPete

Cinematographer

Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 8:09 pmPosts: 644

Re: Best Scenes of 2013

Her - The orgasm scene, followed by the cut to black, then the camera panning over the city. It's intimacy visualized and it's perfect. The best scene in a movie in many years.

The Wolf of Wall Street (copied from a post in the movie's thread) - Belfort addressing his employees and giving a prepared speech about stepping down. For one, he talks about 5 years like it’s an eternity, as if he’s some established institution in the world of finance. Dicaprio starts by informing the employees that he’ll be stepping down, summing up everything he’s “built”, and then launches into an anecdote about how he helped a down on her luck female employee turn her life around. Mid-speech you can literally feel his mind start changing and you know where it’s going to end. He’s convincing himself of his own bullshit, and very likely actually believes it in some twisted way. He knows full well the jig is up, and even then he still can’t manage to stop pushing everything to the non-existent limit. Something like 99% of people would have the mental pathology to realize they should save their own skin when given the chance, but those people would never be capable of doing the things Belfort does to get to that point in the first place. The whole thing is unbelievably perverse. The whole movie is about him selling what amounts to nothing, and he even manages to sell himself here.

The Place Beyond the Pines - the opening lengthy take of Gosling walking, getting on a motorcycle, and entering a cage with 3 other riders who all go round and round the cage. It's an apt metaphor for what the movie explores for the next 2.5 hours - asking if it's possible for men to break this cycle they're trapped in. Contrasted with the wide open final shot of the film, the answer is a thing of hopeful beauty.

Mon Feb 10, 2014 12:49 pm

KWRoss

Director

Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2012 2:37 amPosts: 1181Location: Laurel, MD

Re: Best Scenes of 2013

Fruitvale Station: The final scene-- "Where's Daddy?" A perfect ending; in her position, how would you respond?

12 Years a Slave: Everyone mentions this, but that scene where Solomon hangs from the tree with his toes barely touching the ground. Passers by roam in and out of the scene without even glancing at him lest they suffer the consequences. It's one hell of a master shot from McQueen.

Blue is the Warmest Color: The sex scenes, right? Wrong. Try the two emotionally powerful scenes later in the movie, one where Emma confronts Adele and another where they meet for a reconciliation of sorts at a restaurant.

and a bonus pick that I imagine no one else will list......

Kick-Ass 2: Mother Russia brutally takes out several police cars (and officers). Normally this scene wouldn't be memorable, but the juiced-up Tetris theme on the soundtrack really sends it home.

The Wolf of Wall Street (copied from a post in the movie's thread) - Belfort addressing his employees and giving a prepared speech about stepping down. For one, he talks about 5 years like it’s an eternity, as if he’s some established institution in the world of finance. Dicaprio starts by informing the employees that he’ll be stepping down, summing up everything he’s “built”, and then launches into an anecdote about how he helped a down on her luck female employee turn her life around. Mid-speech you can literally feel his mind start changing and you know where it’s going to end. He’s convincing himself of his own bullshit, and very likely actually believes it in some twisted way. He knows full well the jig is up, and even then he still can’t manage to stop pushing everything to the non-existent limit. Something like 99% of people would have the mental pathology to realize they should save their own skin when given the chance, but those people would never be capable of doing the things Belfort does to get to that point in the first place. The whole thing is unbelievably perverse. The whole movie is about him selling what amounts to nothing, and he even manages to sell himself here.

Bang on. Well put.

Perverse, but hilarious in equal measure. It was a bunch of criminals getting all teary eyed and holier than thou

_________________... because I'm a wild animal

Mon Feb 10, 2014 5:09 pm

roastbeef_ajus

Second Unit Director

Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 12:07 pmPosts: 313

Re: Best Scenes of 2013

The Wolf of Wall Street

As far as thematic implications: The two big speeches are incredible, and let the viewer know exactly how this man achieved what he did.

Comedy: The qualudes and country club scene. I laughed until I cried and my stomach hurt.

That good ole' special feeling : When Margot Robbie walks out of her room with nothing on but stockings and high heels...Jesus Christ Leo is one lucky bro.

Pure Bauceness: When Belfort tells the two FBI guys to get the fuck off his yacht. He says something like, "While you two are riding the subway home, I'm about to have these girls lick peanut butter off my nuts." Then he just throws $100 bills at them like it's nothing and calls them "fun coupons."

Gravity

The opening tracking shot, as well as the scene when they make it to the ISS, but get hit by the debris again. I could hardly stay in my seat.

Mud

After the boy yells at him for lying to him, then he falls in the snake pit: Mud drops everything and saves the boy, not caring what happens to himself. The whole sequence is incredibly intense.

Inside Llewyn Davis

Him playing a very personal rendition of Fare thee well , then being followed up by Bob Dylan. That scene is heart breaking after the week Llewyn just had.

Mon Feb 10, 2014 10:59 pm

MGamesCook

Director

Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:44 pmPosts: 1807

Re: Best Scenes of 2013

Quote:

Man of Steel- That first flight scene was absolutely incredible.

Yes. Also the smallville battle, the final fight with Zod, and my favorite moment of the film is when Superman crashes into his ship and says "Krypton had its chance." An exemplary combination of high drama and spectacle. Also one of the great continuous shots of the year, the explanation of Krypton's history with Jor El in the ship. One of the most creative, fluid uses of CGI that I've seen.

Quote:

12 Years a Slave: Everyone mentions this, but that scene where Solomon hangs from the tree with his toes barely touching the ground. Passers by roam in and out of the scene without even glancing at him lest they suffer the consequences. It's one hell of a master shot from McQueen.

That's not a master shot in terms of the final cut of the movie. Master shot is one shot for the entire scene.

Pawn Shop

The scene where Matt Dillon discovers his wife's picture at the top of Elijah Wood's fridge and he tries to hold back the tears. That tugged my emotions more than any other scene last year. And everything that transpired after that in Dillon's story was a severe punch to the gut.

Bullet to the Head

Tied with Man of Steel for the best raw showdown of the year. The clink of the axes really rings in the ears.

Prisoners

The black girl's flashback in the hospital to her own escape was the most chilling moment for me.

American Hustle

Pretty much any time the 70s soundtrack piped in. Except maybe for Live and Let Die.

Tue Feb 11, 2014 12:50 am

KWRoss

Director

Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2012 2:37 amPosts: 1181Location: Laurel, MD

Re: Best Scenes of 2013

Oh snap! I almost forgot....

Trance: Like you need me to tell you which scene. Wolf of Wall Street may be the better movie, but this one offers the better example of....

I find this to be the closest thing to objective film criticism that has ever happened.

_________________The temptation is to like what you should like--not what you do like... another temptation is to come up with an interesting reason for liking it that may not actually be the reason you like it.

Tue Feb 11, 2014 4:18 pm

Vexer

Auteur

Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 12:02 pmPosts: 3606Location: Zion, IL

Re: Best Scenes of 2013

A Good Day To Die Hard: John McClane and his son versus a helicopter.

Pain And Gain-Wahlberg's character trying to return a chainsaw to a store after attempting to dismember a corpse with it. Also Dwayne Johnson's character grilling body parts outside and cheerfully waving.

Snitch-The car chase at the end

Two Guns-The final shoot-out

Machete Kills-Death by motorboat

Homefront-Any scene with Statham kicking ass(particularly the gas station scene)

Tue Feb 11, 2014 6:23 pm

patrick

Second Unit Director

Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 4:57 pmPosts: 360

Re: Best Scenes of 2013

The Lone Ranger - Train scene

Ender's Game - All of the battle room scenes

Saving Mr. Banks - Let's Fly a Kite

Tue Feb 11, 2014 7:30 pm

MGamesCook

Director

Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:44 pmPosts: 1807

Re: Best Scenes of 2013

Almost forgot -

The Grandmaster: train fight...or any scene with Ziyi Zhang.

The World's End: Pegg's battle with the twins was my favorite from this one.

Tue Feb 11, 2014 7:57 pm

Vexer

Auteur

Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 12:02 pmPosts: 3606Location: Zion, IL

Re: Best Scenes of 2013

RED 2-All the scenes with Lee

Escape Plan-Arnie ripping a machine gun off a cohpper and mowing down dozens of bad guys, plus the wohle prison escape is pretty epic.

Wed Feb 12, 2014 3:40 am

KWRoss

Director

Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2012 2:37 amPosts: 1181Location: Laurel, MD

Re: Best Scenes of 2013

Ken wrote:

KWRoss wrote:

Oh snap! I almost forgot....

Trance: Like you need me to tell you which scene. Wolf of Wall Street may be the better movie, but this one offers the better example of....

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